The Prentice Hall NetEffect series encompasses training for specific business areas, such as learning skills, job skills, management skills, and technology soft skills. Courses are available in print, on CD-ROM, or over the Internet. For more information on the NetEffect series, go to www.prenhall.com/neteffect Listening Effectively was written by a professional who has taught thousands of college students, corporate managers, and military officers how to listen. This succinct book presents practical information in an interesting, engaging, and interactive way. It strips away extraneous fluff and gets right to the business of teaching people how to listen effectively. The compelling features are bull; bull;practical examples from classroom, corporate, and family/counseling settings bull;both in-class and out-of-class activities bull;ideas on what effective listeners think, feel, and do Dr. Kline has also successfully taught these skills to college students, corporate audiences, and volunteer organizations. For more information, visit www.klinespeak.com

John Kline grew up in Iowa, graduated from Iowa State University with a B.A. in English and speech, received his Ph.D. degree in communication from the University of Iowa, and taught at the Universities of New Mexico and Missouri-Columbia before going to the USAF Air University as a civilian professor, where he gained a reputation as the Air Force's leading expert on communication and listening—teaching thousands of officers, as well as enlisted and civilian personnel, how to communicate and listen effectively.

Dr. Kline is now a professor at Troy State University in Alabama. In addition, the Air Force, Army, and large companies regularly call on Dr. Kline to teach their personnel how to communicate more effectively.

Dr. Kline and his wife, Ann, who live in Montgomery, Alabama, have five grown children and twelve grandchildren.

Visit Dr. Kline's website: www.klinespeak.com

Most books on listening are too long. They generally contain such material as a detailed discussion of the mechanics of hearing, a lengthy discussion of the process of listening, and chapters devoted to each type of listening. All this information is nice to know but is not necessary if one's goal is simply to become a better listener. Furthermore, although many of these books cover a large amount of material, they surprisingly neglect to give much concrete advice on how to improve listening behavior.Other books on listening are short, but most of them are lightweight. They don't present theoretically based and acknowledged techniques for improved listening. In other words, they don't tell the reader how to be a better listener. I have made this book substantial enough to cover the subject but brief enough to keep the reader's interest.The material in this book comes from three decades of study, research, and teaching thousands of people from college students to corporate leaders. For over two decades I taught courses at the United States Air Force's Air University near Montgomery, Alabama. I taught at all levels, from young enlisted personnel to senior officers attending the Air War College. The information in this book is based on material taught to thousands of officers, enlisted personnel, and Air Force civilian employees. It has been taught and, I think, stands the test of time. ORGANIZATIONThe book begins with a chapter that makes a strong case for better listening in all areas of life--in school, at work, and with family and friends. Chapter 2 presents six faulty assumptions people often make that keep them from reaching their potential as listeners. Chapter 3 focuses on nine common bad habits that hinder listening.Chapter 4 presents the process of listening--receiving, attending, understanding, responding, and remembering. Special emphasis is given to selective listening, barriers to understanding, and memory techniques. Chapter 5 discusses the five types of listening: informative, relational, appreciative, critical, and discriminative.The sixth and final chapter presents 18 practical instructions for listening drawn from each of the three "domains of learning"--cognitive or thinking, affective or feeling, and psychomotor or doing. SPECIAL FEATURESSeveral features of this book make it particularly attractive both to teachers/trainers and to students/trainees.Writing Style.The book is lively and easy to read. Technical jargon is not used. No previous study of the subject is presumed. Many examples and quotations are scattered throughout the book to hold the reader's attention and to support points being made.Activities.Some activities are suited for in-class completion. Others are best done in pairs or even by entire classes or training groups. Tests to check listening skills appear at various places in the book.Helpful Suggestions.I provide useful suggestions and hints, including techniques to assess a speaker's logical and emotional appeals, improve memory, and stay focused.